Field of the Disclosure
The technology of the disclosure relates to osteosynthesis systems and related assemblies and methods for connecting bones or portions of bones to each other in an animal, such as a human.
Technical Background
A vertebral column and a spinal cord of a patient extend from the skull to the pelvis and form a longitudinal axis of a patient. The column includes vertebra that are separated by fibrocartilage structures (intervertebral disks) that are interconnected with ligaments. The vertebral column protects the spinal cord and provides structural support for the patient. The spinal cord along with a bundle of nerve fibers extending from the spinal cord form a central nervous system enabling communication between the brain and other parts of the body of the patient. The spinal cord is protected by being disposed within a vertebral canal formed by openings in each of the vertebrae. The vertebral column typically facilitates movement of the patient by enabling relative movement between adjacent vertebrae and often serves its functions without issues, but medical intervention may involve fusing various vertebrae together in a process of stabilization to reduce pain or otherwise facilitate healing or improved quality of life.
In some interventions, anterior cervical plates may be used after an anterior arthrodesis for stabilization purposes. Bone anchors (e.g., bone screws) may be implanted or screwed through anchor passageways in the plates to anchor the anterior cervical plate to vertebrae to immobilize the vertebra with respect to one another. One drawback of conventional anterior cervical plates is that it can be difficult for an attending surgeon to accurately position the anterior cervical plate prior to affixing the anterior cervical plate with the bone anchors and/or maintain the plate in a desired position during the implantation procedure. Bone anchors may also have a tendency to become loose over time, and as a result anterior cervical plates have been designed with various anchor backout prevention mechanisms. These backout prevention mechanisms may be cumbersome resulting in unreliable performance. Further, the mechanisms often involve a multistep engagement process that introduces unnecessary opportunities for error and prolongs the surgery to the detriment of the patient. Accordingly, improvements are needed to better position cervical plates, and to more efficiently and effectively prevent loosening of bone anchors that can uncouple the plates from vertebrae.